Multiple-coin chute.



C. H. GREEN.

MULTIPLE COIN CHUTE.

APPLICATION men MAY 15. 1914.-

1,152,806. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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MULTIPLE com CHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5, I914.

1,15%,806. PatentedSpt. 7, 1915.

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D STATES PA CLIFFORD H. GREEN, 0]? GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PIANO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MULTIPLE-COIN CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed May 15, 1914. Serial No. 888,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD H. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Multiple- Coin Chutes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to coin-chutes for coin actuated automatic player pianos into which coins are dropped to select, through the medium of electrical devices, the piece of music which it is desired shall be played.

Heretofore a single coin was dropped into the chute to cause the selection of the one tune desired, and if it were desired to repeat this tune another coin had to be dropped into the same chute for a repetition thereof.

it is desired to have a given piece of music repeated, and to enable the coins to automatically engage the electrical devices, one after the other, to keep the music in position to engage the tracker-board and to repeat it again and again as many times as there are coins in the chute. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front edge view of a series of chutes having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the same showing the position of the mechanism when the coins are supported upon the lower arm member of the angular rocking element. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the mechanism after the lowermost coin has been released therefrom and the succeeding coin is held by the upper arm member ready to be released to cause the operation of the machine again. Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the lower end of the chute. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one of the chutes taken on dotted line 55, Fig. 4..

Referring to he drawings, A represents a vertically disposed tubular coin-chute, the bore of which in cross-section corresponds to a central section through the coin X used to operate the piano. The lower end of this chute is open and at a suitable distance above its lower end it is provided with a suitable opening a in its sides near its forward edges.

In order to discharge a coin from the lower end of the chute and intercept the coin next following the same, I have provided a vertical rock-spindle B, which is journaled 1n suitable bearings b, b,projecting from the rear edge of the chute near its lower end, substantially as shown. The lower end of this spindle has an arm C that extends laterally, then forwardly and then laterally agaln 1n the same direction as the lateral portion leading from the spindle. The normal position of this arm C is such that its free end 0 extends under the bore of the chute and intercepts and supports the lowermost coin. The upper end of the spindle is provided with an arm D thatprojects laterally in the opposite direction from arm C and then forward, and has its free end d bent toward the chute, and adapted, when said spindle is moved so as to withdraw the end a of arm C from under the chute, to

enter openings a and intercept and cut-off the coin next above the space occupied by the lowermost coin. This arm D is engaged by a spring E which may be of any shape or design, but which isshown in the drawings to be substantially U-shaped with one end suitably fastened to the adjacent side of the chute and the other bearing outward against said arm. The spindle B is actuated by means of a link 6 whose rear end is pivotally connected in any suitable manner to arm D at a point a suitable distance from spindle B, and whose forward end is pivotally connected to the downwardly projecting arm f of an armature F, which latter is pivotally connected to the forward end of a bracket 9 that supports an electro magnet G, whose soft iron core attracts it when said magnet G is energized.

When in its normal position, end d of arm D' will be withdrawn from opening a, and the coin will drop. down past it and engage the rearward heel h of a trip H, which latter moves through a suitable slot in the front edge of the slot and is pivoted between lugs j projectin forward from the forward edge thereof. he portion of trip H, extending forward from its pivot, is considerably heavier than the heel h, and it has a post J extending therefrom in the vertical plane of its axis when the trip is in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The. upper end of post J comes under and supports the rearwardly projecting arm is of a lever K that 1s fulcrumed to an upright at a p n t in substantially the same translplane asthe front of the magspring able secured in the insulating material M ormiiigrthe support for the upright 'm.

o the heel k'of the trip. H,1shown inFig. 2 at be the! drawings, and :the post J of the v ter' moves f out from under arm k,sa1drarm ':'assumes the position shown in- Fig.12 ofthe drawings; Iniorderwto" restore the lever K charged from-the: chute and.ithe trip has gravitated back'to the position shown in; rovide the lever K; at a: point i -hlcrumv with an upwardly ro- .-;jecting lug o and provide the lower en' of the downwardly projectingarm f of thear-v *mature with an mverted L-shapedi finger 'n, I which, when the armature is attracted" by the magnet, engageslug oand lifts arm Ir: of

:z lever to the position shown-in Fig. 3,

in which position port J will automatically move under-its rear end and ahorizontal position; I

The forward end downward and when it is in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, this down- 'wardly bent end N connects the metal ter-x minal r of a circuit R with the leaf-spring *Dterminal s ofa circuit-S, and when this" sustain it in N of lever :K is bent lever isin .the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said end N will'movelout of engagement with terminal rand press the w leaf-spring terminals into contact with the -ucrooked endof' a terminal t of a circuit T' I :and close the circuit. between T and S;

The magnet circuit, is instantly closed: a when thev perforated sheet of music being. ,iplayed reaches its endaThis energizes the magnet which attracts the armature F, and I qthe latter,through;the medium ofthe link e, rocks spindle Bf'and projects the end of 1' armv D through-opening win the chute and under the remainingvcoinsto support them while the lowermost coin is. being discharged- TheJtrip-H isvtripped when the coins'momentarily held: by the arm-D are reIeasedwhich tilts and-releases the lever K permittingjsaidnlever torock by force; 1 ofgravityfrom; the, position shown 'in Fig 3. to the-position shown in- Fig.;;2, which] closesithe circuit T,S and causes the per- ;;forated rmusic sheet/after it has been reivggwound, to be playedagain. .7 a a unnecessary 'to more than statethe ffloperation-of the electrical circuits, and toi i broadly state the functions of the perforated he arm *k of this lever is kept nor mally pressing downward bytmeansof a k which is wound around" thepiv' tal memberof the lever K, and has one end ffhave not described or illustrated these fea- """eiitending to and-"over said arm'lc and its other end extending downward toiand suit- Whenathe' Jcoin' engagesthe rear edge circuitrm a a m 1 -,4.-Mechanism of the-kind specified comany, change in order to have my improvements applied to them, and, therefore, I

claim as new is:

1. The combination with a tubular coinchute adaptedxto. hold several coins, one followingfthewother, of an angular rockin elenient having a vertically disposed media :spindle member journaled in the rear of said chute, an arm member projecting from the uppe'riend thereof the free end of which is adapted to enter the bore of the chute through a suitable opening in its side, and

"an-arm member pro ecting from the lower end ofsaid' spindle whose full end extends transversely under the discharge end of said chute. a

v 2; The combination with a tubular coinchute adapted to hold several coins, one following the other, of an angular rocking element having a cvertically disposed medial spindle member journaled in the rear of said Tchute, an" arm; member projecting from the upper end thereof the free end of which is adapted to enter the bore of the chute I through a suitable opening in its side, and

' atxan angle to each other.

3. The combination with a tubular coinchute' adapted to hold several coins, one following the other, of an angular rocking elementhavingan' arm member movable into .andaout of-the path of the coin gravitating through said chute, an arm member adapted to move'laterally-through saidchute into thebore thereof when said first mentioned arm member. withdraws and vice-versa, a

:trip adapted; to enterthebore of said chute -*throughlonevertical edge thereof and to be moved by-the lowermost coin in the same, means releasedbysaidtrip for closing an electricclrcuit, a magnet, a rocking armature arranged relatively to said magnet, and 1 a connection between said armature and the angular rocking element for moving said arm member to discharge; the lowermost coin in said chute andxrestorezsaid trip to its normal position-and open said electrical prising a gvertically disposed tubular chute, an angularirocklng elementhaving a verti- .cal's'pindlemember ivoted to one side of the chute, arm-mem ers respectively pro- ]ectmg from? the opposite ends of said spindle member 1n different but parallel horizontal planes and in a vertical angle to each other, and adapted to alternately enter the path of the coin gravitating through said chute, an electro-magnet, an armature pivoted at one end adjacent the same, and a link connecting one of said arms to said armature.

5. Mechanism of the kind specified comprising a vertically disposed tubular chute, an angular rocking element having a vertical spindle-member pivoted to said chute, arm members respectively projecting from the opposite ends of said chute at suitable angles to each other and adapted to alternately enter the path of the coin gravitating through said chute, a trip pivoted mediate its ends to the chute 0n the side opposite the angular rocking element and adapted to enter the path of the coin gravitating through said chute, a lever; said trip being adapted to lock and release said lever; electrical circuits alternately opened and closed by said lever, an electric magnet, an armature pivoted adjacent the same, and a link connecting one of said arms to said armature.

6. The combination with a vertical tubular coin-chute, of an angular rocking element having a vertical medial spindle member pivoted to one edge of said chute, and two lateral coin supporting arm-members projecting in parallel horizontal planes from the opposite ends of said spindle member and at an angle to each other; said armmembers extending on opposite sides of said coin chute and being adapted to alternate in their movement into coin engaging position.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of May, 1914.

CLIFFORD H. GREEN.

Witnesses:

PETER D. VANDER WERP, F. B. PHIPPs. 

